


Restless Aftermath

by TheAngelofFate



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of tears, Roxas and Xion being smol kids, Tears, also he may have a phobia of sleep, axel being a dad, axel loves his kids and his buddy isa, i cant stress this enough that this is platonic, lea and isa are the best of buds, lea has PTSD, lea needs all the hugs, lots of hugs, platonic friendship, sea salt trio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-18 15:20:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18702250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAngelofFate/pseuds/TheAngelofFate
Summary: In which the aftermath of KH3 and its entirety has left Lea feeling less okay then he's lead everyone to believe.





	Restless Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> A story that I have been working on for a while, even longer then the other one i recently posted, I hope you all enjoy it.

It wasn't that Lea thought they'd all lose, no he had a _feeling_ that they win, that _Sora_ specifically would be the key to helping them take down ol' Wrinkle Face. And Lea knew all of this, knew that somehow everything was going to be okay and yet— he was still pretty damn surprised when they all came out victorious in the end. Because they won, and that in it of itself was a miracle, him getting his friends back was a miracle. Never did he think he's ever have the chance again to see Xion _—god how could he have forgotten her?—_ and Roxas again? How did Lea get so lucky that he had all of his best friends back, including Isa?

Was it Fate?

Or was the world finally cutting him a break for once?

Whatever the reason, Lea wasn't complaining in the slightest. He had his friends back, he finally felt whole again, felt truly happy again. And he was never again going to let them go.

But unfortunately, that didn't mean that everything was okay. Because of course nothing was ever that easy for Lea was it.

For starters, nightmares apparently were a common occurrence now more so then they use to be. They started afterwards, after well.. _everything_ went down in that Graveyard with Xehanort.

And most always the nightmares would morph constantly, always letting him suffer in the abyss before changing and yanking him away to another one. He'd have nightmares about forgetting Xion again, about Roxas leaving and never coming back, about Isa becoming Saïx again, and most always about Xehanort suddenly showing up and just snatching them away. Hell, he even had ones about _himself_ , ones where he's all alone and everyone hates him as Axel or even as Lea it didn't matter, in those nightmares he was always alone and, the sad thing about those ones, is that he believes them to be true.

Each time within those dreams both as Lea and as Axel would run to his friends, trying desperately to catch up to them. But it was like the darkness had wrapped around his ankles keeping him from moving or slowing him down. Then the everything stops, ends so abrupt as he jolts awake, his hand outstretched, tears falling down his cheeks, heart pounding in his chest.

He refused to go back to sleep after that, no matter if it was 2:30 in the morning. Every time he closed his eyes, what he had previously seen would flash in his head, a constant reminder of what he feared

Regardless, that left Lea alone in his room, where his anxiety and fear only grew with each passing night. Some would say he had abandonment issues, but it was so much more then that. Now it was becoming a phobia, one that seemed to fester under his very skin and made it hard for him to breathe.

What was worse is that he even had those nightmares during the day too, they came in flashes and sometimes Lea had no idea what would trigger them, sometimes they wouldn't even need a trigger they just happened out of the blue, but they would come and leave him almost breathless. During which he'd always give his friends a lame excuse about needing to be somewhere else, an excuse they probably really didn't believe and walked away to deal with this one his own.

But still somehow, his friends were none-the-wiser. And if Lea has anything to say about it, they'd stay that way. He refused to get his friends caught up in his personal problems, he didn't want to bother them, not when they were finally happy and whole and _themselves_. Worrying about him, something as silly as nightmares were the last thing they needed.

Still, the stress alone was taking its toll on him. Keeping up the act that he was 100% fine and the aftermath of Xehanort rampage, didn't leave him permanently drained. But still he kept up the act, for all their sake.

Which again, was getting harder and harder to maintain. 

To say he had abandonment issues would be an understatement, that he had a simple phobia of being alone would not even describe this over all feeling of fear. There was a reason why when they were making their way back to Twilight Town in the Gummi Ship, that he had a hold of them the entire way there in his arms, why when they finally paid for a place to stay he didn't complain when he felt them crawl into his bed a few minutes later. He was utterly petrified that if he let them go, as he had before, they'd fade away.

He didn't want to go home, even if he knew that they and Isa would be back soon. Because even though he wasn't physically alone, he still felt isolated, just like Axel had once been. Alone to deal with his negative emotions, because he was too stubborn to admit when he needed help.

So despite not wanting too, that’s exactly where Lea was currently going, back home to his apartment he shared with Isa, Roxas and Xion. 

Until something happened on his way home, something that completely set him off.

It was honestly _really_ stupid; so incredibly pathetic even Seifer would laugh at him. As Lea walked home, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Two local kids were walking with their parents down the street, heading home just like he was. When suddenly the light from the Twilight sunset made their blonde hair light, looking almost white, _silver_ — And then reality was lost to Lea, he felt like someone had pulled the rug out from underneath his feet. The kids hair went back to platinum blonde in a second and Axel— _Lea_ knew it wasn't anything to honestly be concerned over, they were just _kids_ with normal colored hair, having a normal day in Twilight Town and yet— and yet all he saw was Young Xehanort.

All he saw was Xemnas and Ansem.

It was clear that the overall damage had already been done.

All three of those men who caused him so much pain, appeared out of thin air right in front of him. Lea knew it wasn't real, knew that it was just his mind's eye playing a sick joke on him, just his mind wanting him to suffer. Lea _knew_ that and yet his heart felt something different. His senses were all in a massive wreck. Up and down, left and right were all a chaotic mess within his head and heart. Reasoning and logic were now placed with fear and despair.

The need to run away was strong within him. The need to flea, to rush away and hide overpowered his entire body, almost causing his knees to collapse beneath him. And so that's exactly what happened; turning in the opposite direction, Lea bolted down the street cutting into various alley ways trying to lose his pursuers, lasting about ten minutes. And when he could no longer see them anymore, did Lea finally stop and promptly lump against the wall of a building.

But it didn't stop there. His heart pounding in his ears, Lea gasped loudly, his body trembling as vision of his friends being snatched away from him filled his vision. Everything that he was scared of, everything that his nightmares showed him every night were coming true and there wasn't anything he could do about it, just like last time.

_Isa turning into Saïx_

_Roxas leaving_

_Xion disappearing_

And now he was all alone, _again_.

"No." He moaned miserably, tears spilling down his cheeks. "No, please don't leave. Don't go, please." It wasn't fair, it just _**wasn't**_. Was he really that worthless? Was he really that irredeemable that his only punishment was to be alone?

Curling into himself, Lea buried his face in his knees and sobbed. He cried for all the wrongs he did, he cried for the person he became after he fell to darkness, cried for all the lies he told Roxas and Xion, cried for the secrets he kept and for kidnapping Kairi, for letting Isa become someone like Saïx. "I'm sorry, _please_. I'm so sorry." His voice was muffled against his knees his finger nails digging into his legs.

"As I once said; utterly useless and forgotten." A familiar voice spoke out, among-st his suffering. A deep, slow gravel voice that Lea knew all too well.

His heart ached, and it was beating way too fast for it to be considered normal. But Lea didn't care nor did he notice, all that he could comprehend was the pain and panic he was feeling. Not thinking twice, he stood up and summoned his keyblade, pointing it directly at Xemnas' blank, emotionless face.

" _You_." He snarled our, tears of anguish and rage still streaming down his cheeks. "You took them from me, again."

Xemnas merely chuckled, grasping his keyblade as he had done that day at the Keyblade Graveyard. "I did nothing of the sort. Everything that has transpired was all _your_ doing."

The knowledge of those words, the truth behind them, made Lea want the vomit. His hand shook as he grasped Blazing Promise tightly, his heart aching to the point where it was actually causing him pain.

But Lea stood tall, he stood tall even though his legs were a mess of tremors. "Bring them back." His voice fared no better as it too trembled him his cascade of raw emotions. "Dammit, you bring them _back_!"

" _Axel_!" A voice said his name so abruptly that Lea almost jumped out of his skin. Jerking his head up, through blurry vision he saw someone standing in front of him.

It was Naminè, kind and talented Naminé. The only person outside the Organization who really understood his loneliness. He had forgotten that she was visiting today.

She must be arriving late.

Her face held a deep look of concern, concern for him and the state he was in. Her mere presence was like a sudden relief to him, seeing her there, and her expression was almost enough to for him to play off that he was blind. Almost, then another flash of images, of his friends being taken, abandoning him squashed any hope of that.

He turned back to Xemnas who was now morphing between Xehanort, Ansem and his superior. "Naminé, stay back. I don't know how the hell they came back but your in danger, you need to run." He ordered her, turning his head slightly to the right to look at her. Then someone came around the corner and stood right next to her

It was Riku.

Riku wasn't giving him as much of a concerned look as Naminè was, but his expression was changing between looking at his keyblade to Xemnas. "What are you doing!?" He asked incredulously, like Lea was doing something was utterly insane. The kid even had the nerve to go into a battle stance. "Let him go!"

Lea scoffed, looking at Riku like he was the crazy one. What was he doing? He was forcing this parasite to give him back his friends that what he was doing. "Have you both lost your minds!? He's the enemy last I checked!"

But it wasn't just his fault, it was Xehanort and his whole crew. Suddenly, he reached forward and grabbed at the collar of Xemnas's coat, because no, this was Lea's fault.

_He took them away from me. It's always Xemnas. Always Xehanort._

"Axel, look at me?" Naminé said, her voice so soothing and with such calmness that Lea couldn't help but gaze at her. And her expression first held confusion, then it mirrored his own. "Axel, please listen. It isn't Xemnas. Please, I need you to blink a couple times for me? Just a few?"

Her idea sounded crazy, because of course this was Xemnas, he could feel the guy's black leather coat against his fingertips, who else would it be? But the way she was looking at him, all concerned and scared. How could he ignore her? When has she ever steered him wrong?

Turning back to Xemnas, Lea did as he was instructed and blinked a few times.

One

_Everything was engulfed in a white haze_

Two

_Everything seemed to blur together_

Three

_Then it all morphed into something else_

Abruptly the man in his clutches twisted and faded away, the figure he was holding wasn't Xemnas anymore, but a poor helpless middle aged man. Staring at him in cautious fear, Lea's eyes widened, his arm immediately went slack and the man fell to the ground hard, only to scramble away a few seconds later.

"See?" Naminé's voice held relief within it. Like some big danger had passed. "No Xemnas, or Heartless or Nobodies here."

But if Xemnas wasn't _truly_ here, then it really wasn't his fault that his friends were gone. _Flame Liberator_ abruptly disappeared from his hand in a light of flames.

Naminé probably figured that this revelation would be enough to calm Lea down, to bring him back stable and calm. But in reality, it had the opposite effect. Instead of making him feel better, it only deepened his sorrow. Because if Xemnas— if Xehanort and his band of selves weren't the ones who took his friends away, then it **must** have been him.

 _"Everything that has transpired was all **your** doing._" Xemnas' words had been the cold hard truth that Lea just didn't want to accept

It was true. He drove them all away, again.

_Oh god..._

His heart shuttered in his chest at this devastating knowledge. His feet carried him backward until his back hit the stone wall behind him and he all but collapsed in a heap of despair.

Lea opened his mouth to say just that, but all that came out was a choked noise that he didn't even know was possible. He tried again, trying to speak past his tears and the fear coursing through him. "Their gone— they... I—" Admitting, saying it out loud only made everything that much worse.

_God, they really were gone, weren't they?_

Lea heard Naminé took a step forward towards him, "Who?"

God, _why_ was she asking? Like she didn't know, who else would he be crying over? "Roxas, Xion, Isa! I drove them away, again." He let out a hollow laugh, his heart throbbed with pain. Raising his hand, he clinched at it. "Like I always do."

Because that was just him wasn't it? He lied, manipulated and drove people away, he was no better then the Organization. Lea pulled his legs to his chest and tightened his hold on them, and he promptly shut out the world, shut out Naminé and Riku, they were talking to each other but Lea wasn't listening, and honestly he didn't care. Because he knew none of it mattered, that they'd eventually leave him too, like everyone did.

He felt Naminé gently place her hand on his hair, almost awkwardly like she didn't know what she was doing but still wanted to comfort him in some way. He wanted to move away, brush off her hand. He wanted to everything to just stop, he wanted to just disappear and fade away like he had been as Axel.

But he didn't, mainly, because he didn't have the energy to do so.

Instead he just let Naminé be, let her try her best to comfort him even though he felt numb to it all. His anguish engulfed him, it cut through his heart and left him feel bare.

He was alone; abandoned and broken.

Some keyblade wielder he was.

Then he heard something that caught his ear, something that seemed to cut through the negative emotions he was feeling.

His name, but said by voices he truly thought long abandoned him.

" _Axel_!"

Lea blinked, hesitantly he lifted his head and saw Roxas and Xion, —even Isa, who was walking at a steady pace behind them— running... no bolting down the alleyway. They were all coming towards him, Xion and Roxas had mirrored expressions of worry.

There they were

Right in front of him, they were right there.

_His kids_

_His best friends_

Fresh tears cascaded down his cheeks, as his heart did a lurch of pain within, " _Oh my god_." He whimpered out, as he bolted forward, trying to meet them half way, only to trip on his own unsteady feet falling to his knees. But it didn't matter because a few seconds later, Roxas and Xion practically tackled him in their combined embrace.

And Lea sobbed, he cried out of fear and relief. He held them close, just like he did before when Sora first brought them back. His own broken laughter mixed into with his sobs, as he brought them closer to his chest. Something in his heart felt at ease. Even if it still hurt like a fresh open wound, with them near; Lea felt whole again, felt _alive_ again. His arms tightened around these two kids with every second, fearing they'd leave him again. "You... you're both— and Isa? You're here... you guys didn't leave me?"

Xion and Roxas pulled back, looking confused and horrified. "Leave you? Why would we do that?" Xion asked, looking hurt at the mere thought. Roxas nodded with agreement.

Their expressions looked so innocent and fragile that it struck Lea's heart, they may look 16 years old but in reality both Roxas and Xion were still so clueless. And that warmed Lea to the point where he gently place his hands on their cheeks and tried his best to smile through his pain. "I thought that... that you got tired of me, because of who I was and all the bad I did, you all either left or I forgot and I–I don't deserve any of you. I should have just stayed into the abyss and never came back. I— I shouldn't be here, I'm worthless, just like Xemnas said." And it was true, he didn't deserve to have such good friends. Roxas, Xion, Isa. They were all better then him.

If possible their shared looks of concern only deepened. "We _wouldn't_!" Roxas protested firmly, the boy actually looked like he might get angry because the words sounded so ridiculous. "We're your best friends!"

"We don't think of you like that!" Xion said, her own eyes forming tears, "And if _we_ don't then _you_ shouldn't either!"

He chuckled at their naivety. "It's not that easy, kiddos." Lea stated simply, looking at their faces, trying to memorize every feature, so that he would never forget them. "When a person thinks like this —" Lea gestures towards himself for more emphasis. "This... _bad_ about themselves, for years at a time, it's hard to stop. Even when they feel... at peace."

His explanation only furthered his young friends worry, and Lea felt the guilt fester within him, like a reopened wound. How many times was he going to hurt them?

Worry them?

"And _this_ is what happens when you go three weeks with barely— if _any_ sleep due to having nightmares _**and** _refusal to tell anyone about." Isa stated abruptly, as he leaned against a brick wall.

Roxas and Xion gasped at this statement.

And Lea gaped at Isa. "You knew?"

Isa scoffed, crossing his arms. "You think of me that oblivious? You use to do the same thing when we were children. So when I recognized the signs... I figured you'd say something eventually when the nightmares became too much. Though, this—" Isa gestured towards him, Roxas and Xion. "Was also something I thought might happen."

Lea scoffed along with Isa, "What? And you didn't say anything?"

"Wouldn't you have denied it if I had?"

_Damn, he had him there._

"Axel." Roxas and Xion said in unison, drawing Lea's full attention back to them. The expressions on their faces were enough to make Lea laugh, they looked to be pouting, but the concern was still lingered there. "You should have told us!"

Lea blinked, shocked because they were actually _reprimanding_ him.

Xion grasped his wrist and held on tightly. "We could have helped you!"

Roxas nodded his head furiously. "Yeah, friends are suppose to tell each other when they need help!"

Back in the Organization, Axel never liked seeing them so upset, and Lea was no better. Still though, their genuine concern filled him with such warmth.

Lea sniffed, not even bothering to wipe at his face, because the tears just kept on flowing. "You both really wouldn't leave? Even after all I did?"

He witnessed both Xion and Roxas' eyes widened in shock, he watched as they both looked at one another and then back to him, fiercely shaking their heads in unison. "No! We wouldn't!" They protested, simultaneously. "Axel, we don't care! Your our best friend!"

"So... you forgive me? Really?"

Was it possible that they forgave his actions even though he had so many? He shook his head in disbelief, how could they be so forgiving when he couldn't even do so with himself?

Both Roxas and Xion mirrored each other once more by vigorously nodding their heads. "Yes! Of course!" So firmly and confidently, with those big blue eyes if theirs, that Lea couldn't _help_ but believe them. Then Lea was suddenly laughing, finding himself so foolish. How could he _ever_ have possibly thought that these two kids would ever leave him?

That Isa would leave him as stubborn as he was? In actuality they had every right to, even Isa did as well, but they have made it obvious that is the last thing on their minds.

Even if the guilt and self loathing within his heart still lingered. To know that they would all catch him when he fell, made him feel that much stronger.

Gently, he pulled Xion and Roxas towards him again and hugged them all the more tighter. "That— makes me so _happy_..." Because he was, despite the ache within his chest, he felt such relief and happiness.

"You should have told us." Roxas suddenly murmured and Lea felt the kid's fingers grasp at his plaid shirt tightly, as if he were trying to compose himself and control his emotions. "You're so stubborn. You _never_ tell us anything, you need to tell us next time."

A stab of guilt panted Lea's heart at that last sentence, knowing exactly what Roxas was referring too. It quickly faded when he realized the reference wasn't voiced for ill intent. But as an example, showing exactly just how closed off Lea could get at times.

He may not be as connected to Roxas on the same level as Xion or Ventus or as Sora once was, but Lea could tell now just how upset Roxas really was, clearly Lea's negative words about himself —plus that and his little episode just a few moments ago—, worried Roxas deeper then Lea originally thought.

Roxas cared, Xion did as well. Both of them cared about him no matter what he called himself.

Lea had been right before, he clearly didn't deserve them.

Lea reached out and ruffled Roxas' blonde hair. "I _will_ , I promise, I'm sorry that I didn't say anything, I know I should've." Lea raised his other hand and placed it over his heart, pausing before speaking again. "It's just you all were so happy and whole— I didn't want to ruin that with my issues."

The blonde shook his head, as though that wasn't a good enough excuse, "You _still_ should have told us." Roxas said, a little more gently as Lea felt him and Xion return his embrace. "Friends help each other, no matter the cost."

Lea nodded, smiling. "I know that now. I won't do it anymore, I promise." He repeated again to ease their minds more.

Eventually, the three of them parted and Lea mentally, physically felt exhausted. "lt's late, I think it's time Lea got some proper rest." Isa stated as he uncrossed his arms and straightened up. The thought of sleep put a pit of fear inside Lea's stomach. "But..." he hesitated, falling silent, not knowing how to put into words how scared he was to fall asleep, because even though he felt better, he was still petrified.

"I don't think you have to worry about nightmares, not with these three around." Riku stated calmly, who Lea had just noticed was leaning against the wall, and Lea could hear the amusement in his voice. "Or did you really think that they would let you sleep alone after this?" Lea looked at Roxas and Xion, who smiled and nodded their heads, and helped him to his feet, and supporting him when his knees buckled.

Taking a moment, he thanked Namine and Riku for what they did for him and Isa did the same, only he said it in a teasing manor; "He's hopeless, thank you for looking after him" If Lea had the strength, he would have swatted at his friend, but he was exhausted so he let it slide.

When they finally all got back home, Lea started to grow more and more paranoid with each step he took to his room. He would have run straight for the front door if Xion and Roxas didn't deliberately hand their hands on his back ushering him towards it. "You know, I'm suddenly feeling not so tired anymore. How about we go get some ice cream?" He inquired lamely, his pulse raising.

He looked to see Isa rolling his eyes. "Lea, your face is pale and you look ready to pass out just by standing. You are going to _sleep_ , and it's not up for debate." He explained and gently pushed him through the doorway of his room, Roxas and Xion both at his sides in case he should fall. Axel smiled, feeling grateful for their support even if he did feel slightly embarrassed for them to see him in such a state.

"Alright, Isa. I'm going, geez." He mumbled under his breathe.

He heard Isa chuckle behind him. "Are you _pouting_?"

"No!" Lea argued back, turning a glare towards Isa that didn't quite meet his eyes.

"Really?" Isa inquired, slyly, moving further into the room and leaned against the wall and pointed to the direction of Lea's bed. "Well then, sit down."

Lea's gazed shifted towards his bed, his hands twitch as he made his way over, but he didn't sit down, he merely stood there as his legs continued to feel like jelly, warning him of his impeding collapse soon. "I—" Sleeping meant more nightmares, nightmares meant adding more to his obvious PTSD. And he didn't want any of that, he was too scared, far too weak handle what his nightmares would have in store for him. He turned towards his three best friends, opened his mouth, but hardly any of the words he wanted to say, weren't coming out. "I... just—" He looked at his hands, they still continued to shake, showing just how palpable his fears were.

Then he witnessed two small hands come into his view, as they gently grasped both of his. He saw Roxas and Xion standing in front of him, eyes filled with reassurance and understanding, they softly tugged at his arms, leading him to his bed, and Lea went willingly, no longer having the strength to fight anymore, plus how could he possibly deny those two kids when they looked at him like that?

It was funny, despite how much he didn't want to sleep, despite the fear in his heart at the thought of sleeping. Lea almost passed out from exhaustion the moment the tips of his hair hit the pillow before his head did. _God, I'm so tired,_ so much that his eyes were actually hurting and his muscles twitched from lack of sleep. But then that fear came back and he opened his eyes, trying to shake away the blurriness as he sat up.

Then he felt Xion's hand pat his chest, gently pushing down and just like that he his back hit the mattress. The random burst of adrenaline leaving him within seconds.

Then Lea watched Xion and Roxas turn their backs on his and for a few seconds, for a few heart stopping seconds, he thought they were leaving him, leaving him all alone to fall asleep to be tormented by his nightmares. A small gasp of relief left him when they turned back to him and suddenly his arms were full of these two short kids as they laid down next to him. Lea didn't know if this was caused by his exhaustion or the fact that ever since he was re-completed, or maybe it was a little of both, but that simple action from them, caused tears to spring to his eyes. He let out a wet chuckle, his arms wrapping tightly around them, pulling them close.

Surprisingly enough, it was Roxas and Xion who fell asleep first, while Lea was actually able to stay conscious long enough to notice Isa still leaning against the wall. He blinked away the haze from his eyes, he yawned. "You just gonna stand there?"

Isa scoffed, but moved forward anyway. "Your bed isn't big enough for four people." He stated with a smile, as he draped a warm blanket over the three of them, to protect them from the cold. Isa paused for a moment before sitting on the edge of the mattress. "I had no plans on going to sleep, I am here to simply watch over you three, making sure you actually get some rest instead of trying to escape like you use to when we were kids."

Lea laughed, returning the smile. "What are you, my mother?"

"Well considering how often I had to babysit you and keep you out of trouble, I might as well be."

"I think you just described me as a pesky brother." Lea grinned, as a laugh bubbled to his chest.

"Ah yes." Isa confirmed, a grin on his features as well. "An annoying and pesky brother that can't seem to stop picking up stray puppies. Though with the way you treat them it's almost like you were their mother or something."

Hugging Roxas and Xion tighter to him, Lea laughed out loud, but it was weak on his lips as the haze was now returning to his eyes, making them droop and feel heavy. Lea moved his hand, "Thanks Isa. Thanks for always putting up with me, just for everything."

"I told you I wouldn't forget you, your too obnoxious for that." Isa's featured softened as he stated this, he grasped Lea's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Your welcome, Lea. What are best friends for?" Isa gently lowered his hand onto the mattress but not breaking the contact. "Now do us both a favorite and get some sleep."

Lea chuckled, weakly but nodded. "Kay."

Settling back into the covers, he finally left himself drift off. Just before that though, Lea made vow to himself. As he gave his Roxas and Xion one last squeeze, he vowed that he would never let them go ever again, that he would never loose them. No one was ever going to cause them pain, no hell or high water was ever going to separate him from his friends.

And this time, he was determined to keep it.

**Author's Note:**

> *faints* After long weeks of editing and re-editing this I'm finally finished. I started this story back on April 4th, on my iPhone notepad of all things before I transitioned it to fanfiction on my laptop so I wasn't hunched over my phone constantly. I'm so happy I was finally able to finish this piece, even if this doesn't get any feedback (though I still do hope it does) I'm proud of this and I'm glad I was able to publish it.
> 
> Anywoo, a penny for your thoughts? Feedback is always welcome and appreciated, if you have the time, and I'll see you gets in the next one.


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